Nearly everyone in a fire service leadership position has stories of role models and mentors who have played major roles in both their personal and professional development. All too often, the terms are used interchangeably when they actually represent something quite different.

Sociologist Robert K. Merton introduced the term role model, saying that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which an individual aspires. The term has evolved into general use to mean any “person who serves as an example whose behavior is emulated by others.” Role models can affect a life from a distance without ever knowing it.

French writer François Fénelon penned the first recorded modern use of the term mentor in Les Aventures de Telemaque, in which the lead character is that of Mentor. This book was published in 1699 and was very popular during the 18th century.

The word mentor has evolved to mean a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person. Some fire service organizations have adopted formal mentoring programs in which newcomers are matched with more experienced members who will instill positive organizational culture and offer behavioral guidance as they progress. Mentors provide their expertise to less experienced individuals, help them advance careers, enhance education or training, and build networks.

But can someone receive the same career or personal benefit from one who is less experienced or less educated?

There is a least one individual in my past who had that very effect. As Bttn. Chief Thad Dahl's story unfolds, I hope you may recognize someone in your organization or life who has that same potential to mentor you from a different direction.

I met Thad on my first day in town and two days prior to my start as an assistant chief. He had accurately calculated my arrival time at my new home and was waiting there as I backed the moving truck down the driveway. He helped unload every piece of furniture and every box and ensured each was placed just perfectly throughout the house. After unloading, he treated me to dinner at the best restaurant in town. The first thing I learned about Thad was that there was never a free meal.

That first meal lasted for hours, and before we parted ways that evening I knew more about my new organization and the challenges we faced than I had learned through months of previous research. Thad was the fire district's training and safety officer and he was very good at what he did. He held leadership positions in both the county and the state training officers' associations. Thad tirelessly advocated safety and training and his activity level far exceeded anyone I had ever met. He even came with the nickname “Energizer Bunny.”

My tenure as assistant chief was brief. Within two months, the fire chief who had hired me departed and the fifth bugle was pinned to my collar. Fire chief job responsibilities are pretty much the same everywhere; organizational culture is quite another issue. With that fifth bugle came an immersion by fire into a culture quite foreign to me.

Fortunately for me, Thad possessed an innate sense of what would work well and what could cause acrimony within the organization, and he wasn't shy about expressing his opinion. When something didn't quite suit him, Thad would say, “Chief, you just can't do it like that!” And he was almost always right.

Often, change comes with acrimony and misunderstanding among some old-timers, so managing change presents never-ending challenges. Most major decisions were made in collaboration with key company-level and chief officers. Inevitably, just when I felt we had found the perfect solution to a difficult issue, Thad would open the door and put an alternative solution on my desk. In spite of his blunt introductory remarks, Thad was very diplomatic, indefatigable, knowledgeable and organized, and was an outstanding teacher.

Sadly, Thad was with us for far too short a time. I will never forget the afternoon he returned from a doctor's visit. He had scheduled the appointment because he was having difficulty swallowing. Tests revealed the presence of advanced esophageal cancer. At that time, it was a relatively rare form of cancer with little in the way of effective treatment. Survival rate longer than 18 months was less than 5%. As with his fire service life, Thad fought the malady with every ounce of energy he could muster, but he lost the battle 18 months later.

The following eulogy was adapted from a piece by an unknown author and read at Thad's memorial service:

Things Thad Taught Me

Thad was but 38 years young when he was called to a higher purpose. How can anyone question such an honor? While I would dearly love to have him by my side I must now prepare for the rest of my journey through life depending on things he taught me in such a short period of time.

Thad taught me patience: He had none so I had to quadruple my effort to maintain perspective.

Thad taught me courage: He seemed to have an uncanny insight into what was right but not always easy. Doing the right thing was not always the easiest.

Thad taught me humility: I always thought I was doing the right thing until he walked in.

Thad taught me how to be positive: He had no time for negative attitudes.

Thad taught me dimension: There was always three sides to every issue, his, mine and compromise.

Thad taught me perseverance: In spite of not having much patience, he could out-wait almost anyone.

Thad taught me bravery: He feared no one.

Thad taught me loyalty: He knew nothing else.

Most of all, Thad taught me grace and dignity under fire. He faced his most important battle and never backed down. He embodied every positive characteristic Webster could define and marshaled his forces for the battle of his life. He ultimately lost the battle but left an impeccable legacy. With his loss he taught us all that how the battle is fought is often more important than the results.

Some role models have a deep and lasting effect, but many are ephemeral. True mentors, however, are few and far between. My mentors are countable on one hand: a high-school teacher, football coach, Safeway meat-department manager and two sage fire chiefs. They are few, but their lessons have lasted a lifetime. And then there is Thad Dahl, who turned the traditional roles of mentor and mentee upside down.

The fire service needs more Thad Dahls. Before officers can benefit fully from their Thad Dahls, however, they must be ready to receive guidance from someone not their equal in rank, responsibility or educational status. That is not always easy for a crusty fire service traditionalist. After all, how can the young be so intuitive?

Consider the concept of 360° feedback in performance evaluation. By the mid to late 1990s, emergency service managers began to see it as a valid evaluation tool. Feedback comes from subordinates, peers and managers in the organizational hierarchy, as well as through self-assessment and sometimes external sources such as customers and stakeholders. The person receiving the feedback often uses the results to plan training and development.

If the fire service can embrace the concept of 360° feedback, it can accept more easily the concept of 360° mentors. Once that door is open, an organization can see a wealth of possibilities where everyone has something of direct value to add to an officer's expertise.

More than 1,500 emergency service members attended Thad's funeral and memorial service. With more than 200 fire vehicles, the procession stretched for miles, and disrupted traffic for hours. Thad touched many lives and influenced many careers. Following the memorial service, several other fire chiefs related similar reverse-mentor experiences. Without ever really knowing it, this rare human being became a teacher of fire chiefs.

Soon after meeting Thad and realizing his potential, he and I sat down to discuss his career goals. Thad said that one day he wanted to be fire chief of his own department. With that in mind, I committed to mentor him so he would be ready when that opportunity presented itself. Illness interrupted his preparation, but four weeks prior to his death the district's board of commissioners voted to appoint Thad the honorary and co-fire chief. He was presented a five-bugle badge at his last board of commissioner's meeting.

Sitting on my bookcase is an 18-inch stuffed pink bunny complete with RayBan sunglasses and a drum around its neck. Next to it is a photo of Thad with his trademark smile and Class A uniform at the entrance to Gilda's House. They remind me every single day that today someone may walk through the door with value to add to my life. With every difficult decision, I still hear, “Chief, you just can't do it like that!”

How many Thad Dahls have you known in your life? How many have escaped before you realized their value?

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Jim Wilson is fire chief of Mariposa County (Calif.) Fire Department and a 36-year veteran of the volunteer and combination fire service. He has founded two successful business ventures including a book publishing company specializing in America's national parks and approaches fire service issues with an entrepreneurial outlook. Wilson is also a graduate of National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and is on the board of directors of International Association of Fire Chiefs' Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.